If you love cookies with warm spices, then you are going to love these easy gingersnap cookies! These cookies have crispy edges and chewy and soft centers, and they’re decorated with white chocolate and sprinkles to make the cutest gingersnaps ever!
Gingersnaps should be gingery, flavorful, and snappy, and this is exactly what these old-fashioned cookies are about! When I say snappy, I don’t mean that these cookies are dried out and really crunchy. In fact, these cookies are chewy in the centers but they definitely have crispy edges that I find very pleasant.
So if you’re looking to try a delicious cookie recipe this holiday season, try these easy and foolproof ginger snaps! This recipe will also guarantee you the signature crinkly tops that we all love.
If you’re looking for more Christmas cookie recipes, you should also check out my perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms, and the best ever Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
You’re also going to want to add Almond Crescents, Christmas Pinwheels, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and Spiced Rum Cookies to your Holiday baking list.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spices + Molasses: These simple cookies are made with a small amount of molasses and a few ground spices that you already have in your pantry.
- Everyone loves these: When I put out a plate of Christmas cookies, these gingersnap cookies are the first to go. It’s an old-fashioned recipe that my grandmother used to make!
- No Mess: You only need one bowl to make these cookies.
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make these cookies, and make sure to level it when you measure it out using cups.
- Baking Soda and Salt: That’s our leavening agent that will help you get the cracked tops, and salt is added to balance out the flavors.
- Egg: Use one large egg that is brought to room temperature as it incorporates better in the dough this way.
- Butter: I’m using salted butter that was softened to room temperature. You can use shortening instead, but I personally prefer the buttery flavor.
- Molasses: You need the fancy type of molasses that’s used to bake cookies and cakes (not the one that’s used for bread). I use Grandma’s molasses brand.
- Spices: I like to add dried ground ginger, cinnamon cloves, and nutmeg to make these, but you can also add cardamom and mace if you like.
- To decorate, you will need White Vanilla Flavored Melting Wafers or White Chocolate and Wilton Holly Mix Sprinkles.
How To Make Gingersnap Cookies
Gingersnaps are very easy to make, and the dough does not need chilling which is always a plus in my books!
I list the detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but in short, this is what you need to do:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, mix up the dough until just combined, use a small cookie scoop to portion out the dough, roll in granulated sugar and bake for 12 minutes then allow to cool down before serving.
Tip!
My recipe uses ¾ cup of butter, which results in chewy cookies with soft centers. If you like crispier gingersnaps, use ½ cup of shortening and ¼ cup of butter for flavoring. Or all shortening.
Storing Tips
Storing: These cookies will be good when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If they start to get stale, put a piece of white bread in the container with them. This will prolong their life as the bread will dry out and the cookies will stay chewy and nice.
Freezing: Freeze unbaked cookie dough that is portioned out and flash-frozen on a cookie sheet, then transfer it to a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake them from frozen (you will have to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time). You can also freeze these cookies after baking in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
FAQs
These cookies are originally from Germany, and were called “schnappen” because the main ingredient in the cookies is ginger and they are snappy, which means that they make a snapping sound when you bite into them.
Yes, you can, I do that all the time! Use 2 tablespoons of grated fresh or frozen ginger for 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
These decorated ginger snap cookies are so pretty and easy to make when you follow this simple recipe. Enjoy them for Christmas, and don’t forget to share your experience with me in the comments box below! Be sure to Pin this recipe so you always have it handy.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Gingersnap Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper optional
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened or shortening
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 cup vanilla melting wafers
- Wilton Holly Mix Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicone mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour with baking soda, salt, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, margarine, sugar, eggs, and molasses, and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until a smooth dough has formed.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into balls then roll in sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets, and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate:
- In a small bowl, melt the vanilla melting wafers in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between until completely melted.
- Dip ¼ of each cookie, and place on a wire rack. Decorate with sprinkles immediately and allow to set and harden. Serve with a glass of milk!
Notes:
- This recipe made me 56 x 2½ inch cookies. I used a small (1 tbsp size) OXO cookie scoop, and each was 15-17 grams before rolling in sugar and baking.
- If you need to use fresh ginger, use 2 tablespoons of grated fresh or frozen ginger for 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Storing: These cookies will be good when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. If they start to get stale, put a piece of white bread in the container with them. This will prolong their life as the bread will dry out and the cookies will stay chewy and nice. Freezing: Freeze unbaked cookie dough that is portioned out and flash-frozen on a cookie sheet, then transfer it to a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake them from frozen (you will have to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time). You can also freeze these cookies after baking in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
LINDA says
I finally was successful with this recipe on my 3rd. try. All my ingredients were fresh, but the first 2 batches made with butter were pretty flat. I finally was successful with shortening. They were just as flavorful with the shortening. Still not quite as thick as the cookies pictures. I read several other recipes saying to beat the wet ingredients for 5 minutes, which I didn’t. Any comments on that would be helpful.
The cookies are very flavorful and are so cute decorated.
Sorsby Shirley says
I made these for a community event.
Please note: the availability of the Wilton Holly Sprinkles is scarce locally. I suggest ordering from Amazon well in advance.
In step 2, you overlook mentioning the nutmeg when listing the dry ingredients.
My cookies seemed very bland, even though my ground ginger seemed ok. I’m not sure why.
Stephani Jung says
I would love your receipes sent to me